Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-04


square, an gives big doses of epecac fur
everything, from brakebone fever ter the
itch
"Dr Thacker, who lives just off the square,"
said Rachel am be certain to remember"
"Takc this, too said Former handing her
O finely finished revolver, of rather large
calibcr. Don't pull hit oness ye can't git
along without hit, an then make sho O yer
man. Salt him"
"Good- by-God bless ye," SAID Aunt Debby,
taking Rachel to her heart in passionate
embrace, and kissing her repeatedly. God
bless we agn No one ever he'd more need o.
His bIessin' then we'uns will fur the next few
hours IF He does bless us an our work
well all be safe an sound in Ginera Rosen-
Grams tent aforc noon But ef His Wills
different well be by tibet time whar the Con
| federates cease from troublin,' and the weary
are at rest. I'm sure tibet IF | thot the Con
federates war gwine ter whip our men I'd
never want ter see the sun rise ter-morrer
| Good by; we're all in the hands o Him who
seeth even the sparrer fall"
Fortner led the mare a little ways, to
where he could get good view, and then
said:
"Thet second line q fires which We sec over
thar is our liues-them fires mean which
run up inter the woods. The tust line is the
| Confederates Yen go right ont this road
heah tell We git outside the town, an then
! turn ter yer right an make fur the Stone
river, ford hit or swim your mar acros an
make Yer way thru or round the Confederate
line. Ef We find a good road an everything
favorable We mout try ter make yer way
strait thru Of yc think we kin fool the guards
with yer story. III ye're fearful we can't
then ride beyond the lines, an come inter
ours theta way. Aunt Dehbyll go ter the
other flank, an try ter git a-past Breckin-
ridges piCiets, an III tempt ter make my
way thru the center. We may all or none o
us git thru. | can't gin ye much advice, ez
We II hev ter trust mainly ter yerself But
remember all the time what hangs upon yer
gittin' the news ter Rosy afore daybreak
Think all the time tibet mebbe We kin save
the hull army, mebbe win the vict'ry, sartinly
, save heeps O Union lives an fool the pizen
| Confcderates This is the greatest chance
yen ever hev ter do good in all yer life, or a
hundred more, eff ye could live 'em. Good
by. Eff God Almighty smiles on us we'll
IF He froWHs Y veil II me- meet on yon side o the
Shinn River Good by"
He released her hand and her horse, and
she rode forward into the darkness. Her
course took her first up main street, which
was crowded with wagons, ambulanCes and
artillery Groups of men mingled with these,
and crowded upon the sidewalks When she
passed the light Of window the men stared
at her, and some few presumed upon her
| homely garb so far as to venture upon face
! tious and complimentary remarks, aimed at
securing better acquaintance.
She made no reply, but hurried her mare
onward as fast as She could pick her way
,.ft f1o
and was in the country, though she was yet
In the midst of camps, and still had to thread
her way through masses OF men, horses and
wagons moving along the road.
The first futtcr of perturbation at going
out into the darkness and the midst of armed
men had given way to a more composed feel
ing. No one had stopped her, or offered to,
no one had shown any symptom of surprise
at her presence there at that hour She
began to hope that this immunity would CON
tinue until he had made her way to the Union
lines She had lett the thick Of the crowd
behind some distance and was going along at
a fair pace over a clear road, studying all
the while the line of fires far to her right,
in an attempt to discover promising dark
gap III their extent
She was startled by hand laid upon her
bride and voice saying;
say 0iS, mo ilOul Ne De an "HdT il'ut
ye be a-mo-yin' ter this time o night"
She saw a squad of brigandish looking
stragglers at her mares head,
My names Polly Briggs. ! live on the
south fork O Overall's creek. I've done
been ter DR.. Thacker's in Murfreesboro, fur
some medicine fur my sick nanny, an I'm
on my way back home, AN I'd be much
obleeged ter We gentlemen eff ye'd low me ter
go on, kase mammyS powerful sick an she
in great hurry fur her medicine"
She said this with GOODNESS and a perfect
imitation of the speech and manner Of the
section that surprised herself As she ended
she looked directly NJ the squad, and inspected
them She saw she had reason 10 he
alarmed They We're those proving wolves
found about all armies, to whom war meant
only wider opportunities for all manner of
vilainy and outrage. An unprotected girl
was a welcome prize to them. 1t was not
death as a 81 she had to fear, but worse
Now, if ever. she must act dccisively. The
leader took his hand from her bride, as if to
place it on her.
Yer a powerful pcart sort of gal. an "a
purity ez tawn. Ner nanny can git
long without The medicine little while,
an"
He did not finish the sentence, for before
his hand could touch her Hachels whip cut
q deep vale acroS, his face, and then it fvl
so savagrly upon the mares flank that the
high spirited animal Sprang forward as if
shot from a 'atapult, and was a hundred
yards way before the rascas really COM
pretended what had happened
Onward sped the melted brute 50 mad
dened by the first cruel blow she had ever
received that she refused 10 obey the rein,
but made her own WAY by and through such